The present invention relates to a wall suspended, pivotal jewelry case that appears as a framed picture, painting or portrait in a closed position, while in the pivoted position reveals a plurality of necklace and bracelet mounting hooks, and a series of free hanging mesh strips for easily mounting and retrieving earrings of the type having either a looped hook or a post and lock, the type of earrings to be worn in pierced ear lobes, etc.
As it is well known, jewelry is one of the most prevalent fashion accessories. As a consequence, many women have numerous pieces of jewelry. In selecting jewelry to complement clothing, or to make an individual fashion statement, a wearer may seek to form a certain particular combination of earrings, necklaces, bracelets, etc. Also the determination of whether a certain combination is desirable may be formed only after wearing the individual pieces and viewing the appearance of the combination.
The selection and viewing of a jewelry combination can be a very frustrating experience. All the different items of jewelry usually are stored in different places. The mixing of the items of jewelry may require the retrieving of a large number of storage containers such as jewelry cases. Also the viewing of the result of a certain selection of jewelry may be burdensome. Jewelry case mirrors may be too small. Using a dresser mirror may require the placing of the jewelry storage containers within easy reach.
Also, jewelry cases may be suitable for organizing and storage of a particular kind of jewelry, such as earrings, but ill suited for the storage and/or display of other items such as necklaces. For example, drawer storage may be appropriate for earrings and rings but necklaces, particularly those with fine chains, may become snarled in a drawer.
Earrings in particular pose a storage and display problem, as they come in many different styles, such as post, wire, clip or hoop. Each style is sufficiently different that storage and display cases which are uniquely configured for one style of earring may be unsuitable to store and display the other styles.
Wearers of jewelry have found out that the placement of such items as chains, necklaces, earrings, pendants, charms, etc., when placed in a common drawer or jewelry box, usually become mixed up and tangled, providing a particular problem in the ability to readily locate particular items of jewelry when they are desired to be worn. Currently, in this arrangement they become easily knotted or tangled and damage frequently results during the untangling process.
Over and above the concerns with storage and tangled masses of chains, etc., there are the concerns that are always present regarding theft. Absent a wall or floor mounted safe, where jewelry may logically be stored, where very few have the luxury of such safes, the vast majority of people, such as a college coed, have to rely on such traditional methods as hiding the jewelry in a dresser drawer. Unfortunately, thieves can easily locate these traditional hiding places. Thus, jewelry organization, now coupled to safety, are concerns people have, especially women.
The prior art is replete with references that attempt to address these concerns, where such prior art is exemplified by the following U.S. patents:
a.) U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,018, to Clement, discloses an apparatus for the storage and display of articles of jewelry having a plurality of plastic strips that are disposed in parallel alignment with respect to each other and which each include a pair of spaced apart openings on each end thereof that are adapted for placement over a pair of posts. The pair of posts are disposed in a parallel spaced apart relationship with respect to each other. Each of the plastic strips includes a plurality of fingers that protrude slightly outward and away from the posts and are adapted to receive and to retain an article of jewelry that may be suspended therefrom. The posts are retained in position in a cabinet. The strips are retained in position along the pair of posts unless the strips are acted on by a force which tends to urge them in either direction along the longitudinal length of the pair of posts. The strips may be urged either close together or further apart to accommodate various sizes of jewelry items. A brace is preferably used to retain the pair of posts in a proper spaced-apart relationship. The cabinet includes a door that is hingedly attached to a rear half and, when closed, is used to protect the jewelry from the elements and also to conceal the jewelry and, if desired, for purposes of transport.
b.) U.S. Pat. No. 6,361,130, to Kardy, teaches a storage cabinet, comprising a first frame for mounting on a wall structure; a second frame hinged for movement with respect to the first frame; a plurality of transverse members arranged in the first and second frames; a plurality of hooks, pins or the like, mounted to the transverse members for supporting a stored item, such as jewelry; a separation membrane hinged for movement with respect to the first and second frames for segregating the stored item supported by the supporting member of the first frame from the stored item supported by the supporting member of the second frame; and a cover member mounted on the second frame. The separation membrane may be a transparent member, such as a flexible plastic sheet, for facilitating visual observation of the stored item. The first and second frames may each have a narrow profile sized for mounting on a wall of a building structure in the space formed between the wall and a fully-opened door of the building structure without substantially interfering with the movement of the door.
c.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,758,936, to Baugham, relates to a jewelry security cabinet for the storage and display of objects, specifically necklaces, pendants, rings and earrings. It includes a front cover structure and a rear box-type structure. The mounting surface of the rear box-type structure is constructed to hang on a wall or be set recessed into a wall. The outside surface of the front cover structure is constructed to appear like a picture or a mirror. The front cover structure may be larger than the rear box-type structure to enhance the invisibility aspect. The front cover structure and the rear box-type structure are hingedly connected and have a closure for securing the jewelry security cabinet. The inner surfaces have pins and hangers so as to hold selected objects. Within the rear box-type structure are two detachable display cases. One of the cases is hingedly attached, such that it is swingable and easily removable and holds, for example, earrings. The other case may be a slotted ring holder.
d.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,873, to Mech, covers a jewelry cabinet having a generally rectangular housing with a peripheral wall and a rear planar wall and a generally vertically extending middle wall which forms a left compartment and a right compartment within the housing. A left door and right door are pivotally connected to the housing and adapted to close the left compartment and right compartment respectively. A portion of the exterior of one of the doors is mirrored. On the interior of at least of the left and right doors is arranged a plurality of hanging hooks to retain necklaces.
e.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,172,814, to Pell et al., is directed to a board for holding and displaying jewelry consisting of a base and a plurality of removable and replaceable jewelry holding bracelets adapted to support on an individual basis clip type earrings, earrings for pierced ears, bracelets, necklaces, finger rings and pins. A special holder for supporting hair barrettes, such as used by little girls, is also adapted to be included or utilized with the board. The particular number of each type of support unit and their arrangement thereon can be determined by the user. Each of the elements for holding jewelry with the exception of an included pin pad and a shelf for supporting finger rings, can be removed and replaced on an as-desired basis.
While the foregoing prior art offer some security and convenience to the user thereof, especially women who wish to store jewelry items, none present a system to store and easily mount and retrieve pairs of earrings, such as those used by women with pierced ears. The manner by which this invention meets the needs of women will become more apparent in the description and drawings which follow.